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Velcom ups subscriber estimates

The first Belarusian GSM 900 mobile operator, Velcom, said it expects to have 300,000 subscribers by the end of the year, 100,000 more than its original expectations.

The operator, which celebrated its third aniversay in April, said it has signed up 165,000 clients so far. Its mobile network covers about 83 per cent of Belarus's urban inhabitants.

By the end of the year, the company said its cumulative investments in the network infrustructure are to exceed $100m (E111m).

Velcom has roaming agreements with 143 operators in 68 countries and 159 base stations in Belarus - 70 of which are in Minsk.

The company said it has created 270 jobs in the three years it has been operating and has invested $75m (E83m) in the Belarusian economy. The company has two service centers in Minsk and 86 dealer agencies in 26 cities.